We’re happy to announce that as of 12:00PM Geneva time today, ProtonVPN is now available to the general public. ProtonVPN is officially out of beta and we are allowing open signups for the first time.

After more than 1 year of development, and four months of beta testing by over 10’000 members of the ProtonMail community, we’re finally making ProtonVPN available to everyone. And we really mean everyone, because consistent with our mission to make privacy and security accessible to every single person in the world, we’re also releasing ProtonVPN as a free VPN service.

It has been a long and exciting journey to get here since our team first met at CERN in 2013. Back then, we had an ambitious vision to build an Internet that was free and could continue to reach its full potential as a tool for social progress. Indeed, that was the vision that inspired Tim Berners-Lee to create the World Wide Web at CERN in 1989.

Since then, the Internet has met or even exceeded its promise in certain areas, but this has not come without a cost to society. While the Internet has done a great deal of good, over the course of this digital revolution, we have also lost control over our data, our most intimate secrets, and ultimately our privacy. In certain countries, the Internet has even become a tool for oppression and control, instead of the beacon of hope and freedom it once was.

Back in 2013, we embarked on a journey to change this, by building the tools that could make privacy and security the default online. In 2014, on the 25th anniversary of the web, our efforts culminated with the release of ProtonMail, the world’s first end-to-end encrypted email service. Since then millions of people around the world have embraced our vision, and thanks to your support (and the numerousdonations along the way), email is much safer today than it was several years ago.

However, when considering the scope of all that we do online, email is just a small piece of the online world. That’s why we have decided to build ProtonVPN, to better protect the activists, journalists, and individuals who are currently using ProtonMail to secure their online lives. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows users to browse the web without being tracked, bypass online censorship blocks, and also increases security by passing all internet traffic through a strongly encrypted tunnel.

The importance of VPNs for online security and privacy is increasing day by day. Back in April of this year, Obama-era FTC rules designed to protect the privacy of internet browsing history were rolled back. Fast forward to today, and attempts are being made to dismantle net neutrality in the US, and several European governments are now calling for increased online surveillance.Last but not least, for over 1.5 billion people around the world, the Internet does not live up to its promise of freedom of information. Instead, the Internet is a highly restricted and censored place, constantly under surveillance, where making a wrong move could lead to imprisonment or worse.

We are also aware that as ProtonMail becomes a stronger force for digital freedom, the censorship of ProtonMail in certain countries is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Earlier this year, we took the first steps to improve ProtonMail’s availability under censorship by launching an Onion site. With ProtonVPN, we can ensure the accessibility of not only ProtonMail, but all of the world’s digital knowledge and information. This is why we are committed to providing a free version of ProtonVPN.

However, we have done more than make ProtonVPN free. We have also worked to make it the best VPN service ever created, by addressing many of the common pitfalls with VPNs. For example, ProtonVPN features a Secure Core architecture which routes traffic through multiple encrypted tunnels in multiple countries to better defend against network based attacks, and also features seamless integration with the Tor anonymity network. You can learn about all the steps we took to build a secure VPN here.

Lastly, we’re building a VPN service that can be worthy of your trust. We understand that when it comes to VPNs, trust is paramount. Whether it is our transparent VPN threat model, our Swiss jurisdiction, our reputation, our relationship with the community, or the fact that you actually know who we are, we’re committed to building and operating ProtonVPN with the same level of transparency that has come to characterize ProtonMail.

To all of you who have supported us over the years, thank you for your support. Unlike companies like Google and Facebook who abuse user privacy to sell advertisements, ProtonMail and ProtonVPN are entirely dependent on users upgrading to paid accounts to cover operating expenses. Without your support, these projects would not be able to thrive and grow. If you appreciate the security and privacy that ProtonVPN provides, and have the means to do so, please consider upgrading to a paid account. This allows us to support the millions around the world without these means.

With your help, the revolution we have started with ProtonMail will continue, and we will reach the day where the Internet serves all of us equally, and reaches its full potential as a tool for freedom.

We are the scientists, engineers, and developers who build ProtonMail, the world's largest encrypted email service. We're now building ProtonVPN also to ensure that everybody can have access to free and secure internet.

When will you be releasing Proton VPN in a native form for Mac OS, and the IPhone? I saw videos on YouTube, showing the native version for windows, and the interface was beautiful, and well thought out.

What is this? A VPN service which tells everyone they are for personal integrity with no logs, encrypted connection and using safer countries like Switzerland, Sweden and Iceland but when it comes to payment their customers have to reveal their whole identity?
Why not support cryptocoins, bitcoin and more?

What exactly does “Country level connection” mean in “Country configs” tab? And what is different from “Connect to a single server in the country” in “Server configs” tab if I have a ProtonVPN Basic subscription?

People saying 78 Euros (a year), is way too much to pay for a VPN should think again. How much do you pay for a years worth of cable TV? Watching all those commercials is worse for you than smoking. And what is the most important part of your internet experience? It’s privacy. Just this week there’s warnings about what to “like” on Facebook. And right now, the “5 eyes” surveillance countries are meeting to collaborate on how to crack your internet usage, which is your very *state of mind* as you navigate around the internet. ProtonVPN is worth a whole lot more than 78 Euros a year. Save on something else!

Thanks!! Would like to have a dedicated program/ App developed by ProtonMail…. Currently TAP-Windows is installed when we use ProtonVPN on Windows… and iOS/ Androids use third party apps. I just wanna say, I trust no other providers except ProtonMail!!!

I did pay when PM still was crowdfunding. I paid when PM was under a ddos attack. I have used your vpn beta version but I don’t pay for your final vpn version. I do not want the free version too…limited. I has hopes that as a paid pm customer you give us a fair price. But with 20% off still €78,00 a year is way too much. Avast offers me a years price of €29,99.

Who knows what to believe? This all seems very nice, but if I were the NSA, this is exactly the kind of VPN service I would offer. There is no privacy, no security. Provide any assurance you wish, but there is no way for any of us to know if it’s all just a front.

If you don’t just ProtonVPN, then who DO you trust? If ProtonVPN, with all their contributions to online privacy through ProtonMail among many other things, can’t be trusted, nobody can be. You strike me as the kind of person who won’t ever be satisfied.

Has the Proton team ever consider making a web browser? It seems like this would be one of the last step in making the internet more secure for Proton users, by ensuring that there are no backdoors and the such. It could not only integrate ProtonMail and ProtonVPN into itself, but make them a pronounced feature. For example, when you start the browser it opens a page that looks exactly like the VPN, except maybe: removing the graph on the bottom, putting the home icon where the graph used to be and putting the search bar between the map and the top of the screen. It would be important to have the VPN integrated with the search function on the home screen, so that every time a user opens the browser they could make the immediate choice of choosing between an insecure connection, a secured connection or a Tor connection; without the hassle of trying to run multiple programs. Also having support to run Tor on the browser (being able to open onion sites) would be a major deal breaker as well. Protonmail would also be one click away on the home screen just like gmail is one click away in the chrome browser; along with any other programs and apps you guys create in the future. Such as a Google Drive like service for paid users.

I use Protonmail for years, I would like to thanks Protonmail team for this amazing mail service.

I also use Proxy.sh VPN since 3 years, they provide the most powerful encryption available (cipher in use is AES-CBC-256bit, hash algorithm is 512bit SHA (SHA512), and the control channel is same TLSv1/SSLv3 DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA, 4096 bit RSA. 4096 bit RSA key is changing every hour) and very good no-logs policies (warrant canary and advanced transparency report)

My proxy.sh semi-annual package is running out this week, I would like to take an annualy ProtonVPN PLUS account but I have some questions:
1) ProtonVPN use 2048-bit RSA for key exchange and not 4096-RSA , and use HMAC with SHA256, Proxy.Sh use SHA512.
Do you have a plan to increase encryption to maximum level ?

The account of any user found involved in any of the aforementioned activities will be suspended immediately without notice. Additionally, you may be held responsible for any and all damages incurred by ProtonVPN, including any amounts charged by any outside entity due to said violation(s), including without limitation attorney’s fees and costs.

Basically, all VPNs can track and log if they wanted to, but some like ProtonVPN do not do it, and cannot be legally compelled to do it. But that doesn’t mean that it is technically impossible. The threat model explains more.

Brilliant response. Do you think more privacy and security centric companies should include the fact that their lawyers put them up to it because some notices and legal documentations can look contradictory and damaging to their products?

Well, that’s bad. Some of the things banned are despised pretty universally, but some other (especially bullet point #2, with 9 (!) verbs used to describe banned speech against some protected categories). Even if you can’t apply this in practice, that’s really really bad.

We respect your privacy so no personal identifying information is required to obtain a ProtonVPN account. You can sign up with an anonymous ProtonMail email account and use our anonymous VPN without disclosing your identity.

They support Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. There are instructions on how to do so, and they will soon supposedly automate this process. But yes, it is more difficult to use Bitcoin with ProtonVPN and ProtonMail than any other service i have ever used.

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

well they are not bound nor obliged to serve every single joe that wants to hook up free vpn.
They need to keep balance, so that’s pretty ok if they limit users in order to keep their service up and with reasonable cost. Not sure why ppl think that its good idea and that each company should grow to facebook/google level giant. As that’s often contra-productive…

I saw this in one of the users comments: “Are native clients coming to MacOS and Unix too or only Windows? Yes, it will be forthcoming”. As a Mac user, How will I know when this is available. This info was forwarded to me be a former email user of Protonmail. I did not receive any info about your VPN service before I got his info on your product.

[…] ProtonMail's free VPN service, ProtonVPN, is now available to the general public, the company announced on Tuesday. ProtonVPN has been in beta testing and development for a year, and is now available for […]

[…] ProtonMail’s free VPN service, ProtonVPN, is now available to the general public, the company announced on Tuesday. ProtonVPN has been in beta testing and development for a year, and is now available for […]

[…] ProtonMail’s free VPN service, ProtonVPN, is now available to the general public, the company announced on Tuesday. ProtonVPN has been in beta testing and development for a year, and is now available for […]

[…] ProtonMail’s free VPN service, ProtonVPN, is now available to the general public, the company announced on Tuesday. ProtonVPN has been in beta testing and development for a year, and is now available for […]

[…] ProtonMail’s free VPN service, ProtonVPN, is now available to the general public, the company announced on Tuesday. ProtonVPN has been in beta testing and development for a year, and is now available for […]

I have been using another paid VPN service, but as a Protonmail user I will be changing over to your service as I truly think that I can trust the Protonmail organization. You offer a great service. Thank You.

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group mentioned they had been motivated to create ProtonVPN to fight elevated threats to on-line freedom, such because the latest repeal of Obama-era guidelines designed to guard shopper web searching […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]

[…] Proton group said they were motivated to create ProtonVPN to combat increased threats to online freedom, such as the recent repeal of Obama-era rules designed to protect consumer internet browsing […]